


The Darkness Pulls Us Together

by mamazelena



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Swan Arc, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 13:37:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5050570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamazelena/pseuds/mamazelena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darkness is a funny thing. It creeps up on you. But sometimes, sometimes, the darkness craves something – or someone – wicked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Darkness Pulls Us Together

**Author's Note:**

> AU in which Zelena remembers the six weeks in Camelot.  
> I like to think of the Dark One's Entity as an 'it', since it's a genderless mass of wispy darkness, but Emma refers to it as 'he' or 'him' because it likes to appear to her as Rumpelstiltskin's Dark One form.
> 
> My tumblr: mamazelena.tumblr.com

They’d always been similar. She’d always felt a very strange _pull_ toward Regina’s elder sister, but ever since the Dark One had gotten a good hold on her, that pull had merely gotten _stronger_.

It was the middle of the night in Camelot, and there was too much _noise_. The dagger’s whispers seemed to just keep getting _louder_ even though she’d now taken it for herself and kept it hidden in a place only she knew, Rum– _The Dark One_ was getting ever the more insistent, and making her dreamcatchers weren’t helping calm her mind _at all_.

Her hand curled around her carving knife as she focused her eyes on the blade, bringing the tip to the wood to try and begin again, before her head snapped up. Her magic sensed someone was down in the castle kitchens. Before she really knew what she was doing, she’d slammed the blade into the desk, the force making a deep groove where the blade tip remained standing upright, the wooden piece clattering to the floor as she began her trek down the stone halls.

Torches roared to life as she passed them, her magic shooting out in wisps of grey smoke to force them to burn. She missed electricity, she missed hot water heaters. She missed Storybrooke. Her younger self would have _loved_ to come to a place such as Camelot, a place of magic, a place of wonder. Her older self, however, bound as she was to the Dark One, hated all of it. She hated the balls, hated the knights, hated the lack of real privacy with all these damned maids and servants, hated her mother’s optimistic nagging about _freeing_ her from the Dark One… She’d lived _weeks_ now with the Dark One’s pull, the entity darkening her mind and turning her _pure_ , _white_ magic grey. The Dark One took her insecurities away, it gave her confidence, it gave her _power_. She liked feeling like nothing could break her now, like no one would try to fight her. That was a sad thought, she could admit, because she _did_ really enjoy fighting, but she knew now that she’d win every time. No one would ever _want_ to fight against her now.

Groaning in frustration, her steps quickened, the heels of her shoes clicking loudly against the stone as she stormed through halls and down staircases. The one thing she did seem to enjoy in Camelot were all the stone buildings. The noise her steps always made did amuse her. Everyone could sense her coming. Everyone, it seemed, except the redhead filling the kettle in the castle kitchens.  


She stood there, watching her for a few moments, frowning curiously and clenching her fists even as the pull increased. She was going to stand and watch for a moment, no matter what the Dark One wanted so badly. She could see in her form that she was tired. In the way her shoulders hunched, in the way that her fiery hair was in such disarray. The woman always seemed so composed, so _calculated_ … This was different. This was… This was _sad_. Perhaps it was Regina, having to spend so much time around her here, having to act as her mute handmaiden and be at her beck and call at all hours. She _knew_ Regina was enjoying that, having to make her elder sister wait on her hand and foot because she couldn’t say otherwise or tell anyone the truth of who they all were. She doubted the woman was helping her stress levels with what she’d been hearing about _taking_ the baby from her. That wasn’t good for either of them. Babies and stress weren’t ever a good combination. She must not have gotten much sleep back in that asylum in Storybrooke, either. Her stomach twisted at the thought of such a place, bile rising in her throat that she had to swallow down. She remembered videos she’d watched in her tenth grade English class on asylums, about reports she’d done… Those places weren’t at all a place for a pregnant woman, and especially one that didn’t seem like she needed to be locked up in a place like that in the least. Regina _was_ Regina, and she’d heard she’d kept Belle down there, too. She’d heard that that was where Sidney had disappeared to for so long before he’d suddenly shown up again – even if it _had_ been in Regina’s compact. That wasn’t very fair of her for someone so _redeemed_ – during their trek in the snow to find the Snow Queen. If that was really true – she didn’t know where the man went to after he’d escaped the mirror – she didn’t want to think about all the other unnamed citizens who were kept locked down there. Regina probably locked anyone who’d ever opposed her, even in small ways, down there. That was, if she hadn’t had them murdered first. If anyone deserved to be in such a place, it was _Regina_. Perhaps sedated in a straitjacket, or strapped to one of those little cots…

Shaking her head away from those thoughts, she focused again on Zelena, walking over to lean on the counter. Her hand shot out, a fireball shooting from her palm to stoke the fire to make it roar to life as she smirked. She watched the silent woman jump in surprise and drop the box of tea she held in her hands, the crushed leaves, herbs, and flower petals scattering across the stone floor.

“Hey there,” Emma started, arching a brow as she stepped over to pick the box of tea up. Her hands moved, twisting and turning as her fingers curled, the tea lifting and cleaning itself magically before traveling back into the wooden box. She twisted the box in her hands, giving the tea leaves a sniff as she hummed curiously. Apparently, in other realms, people didn’t label their boxes of tea leaves and just went by smell. Not that she’d know much about tea scents, she wasn’t much a tea person. She could detect the scent of lavender, though, since she’d gotten used to using a special lavender soap back in Storybrooke when everything got too full of magical mayhem and chaos. It made her tense and stressed, and being too stressed meant she couldn’t sleep. After the whole ‘Lily’ situation had come to light, she’d had to admit the not-sleeping had happened more often than she’d like to admit, and so came the overuse of her lavender soap, so she knew that scent well. She liked coffee best, but apparently Camelot was too damn _poor_ for coffee. She’d tried conjuring it once, but she’d discovered that conjured food and drinks tasted horrible, as was magic’s price. Blinking a few times, she moved to the teapot, spooning a few spoonfuls of tea in for her. Might as well be helpful… “You can’t sleep either?”

Zelena had been trying to be quiet. She’d had to sneak past Regina and her forest-smelling boyfriend just to get down to the kitchens, and that was easier than it would’ve been normally thanks to the whole 'mute’ business. It’d still been nerve wracking, though, since she hadn’t had known whether or not her sister had set up barriers or trap-spells. Luckily, she hadn’t done any of that. She’d been trying her hardest just to make her tea and not get discovered, just to have _five minutes_ of peace to herself. Out of everyone that could’ve found her, though, she supposed the Dark One– _Emma_ was the least worrisome. Her face had gone bright red after she’d dropped the box of tea, hating herself for being so clumsy and ruining her chance of a soothing cup of tea to help attempt to calm her nerves.

Her lips pursed in thought, her head tilting curiously as she watched the woman walk so calmly over and retrieve the spilled tea. The way the leaves twisted and curled in the throes of the greyed magic was mesmerizing to her, and she only jolted out of watching the blonde so closely when the box of tea snapped shut and scared her. She brought a hand to smooth over her dress as she thought about how to reply, turning to watch the blonde fiddle with spooning the tea leaves into the teapot. After a moment, she swallowed another sigh and shook her head. She was too tired for lying, and she wasn’t stupid enough to willingly try antagonizing a _new_ Dark One. She’d read small excerpts about them in books over the years, and it always said that _new_ Dark Ones were always the most volatile.

Emma watched her, her green eyes noticing how the woman’s hands fidgeted so much, and how she didn’t seem to make _any_ noise. Even sighs made noise, and she’d _seen_ her sigh once or twice. She frowned, “Ah. That’s what the tea is for, right?” she asked, before she moved to get the kettle for her as it whistled. ’ _Cast-Iron sure is noisy_ ,’ she mused, her magic lifting it over to the counter, her fingers twitching to flick the top off the teapot so the water could be poured in. She flicked her fingers to put the top back on as she set the kettle aside, returning to leaning against the counter and watching her.

Zelena studied her face for a moment, unable to really focus on much else. A part of her was nervous to be around a new Dark One, but the rest of her was oddly drawn to the woman. She had to admit that for such shady, selfish, optimistic people, the Charmings did make a _beautiful_ daughter. She nodded this time, her lips twitching upward in a slightly hopeful smile. Anything to help ease her nerves enough to sleep, though she knew that with the realization that she’d have to go up and sneak past Regina again to  get to her small sleeping quarters, all that newly-found calmness would disappear.

“Ah,” she breathed with a nod, unable to help reaching out to the woman with her magic in curiosity. _No one was this quiet_ …

She felt the magic-blocking cuff at first, but as she traveled up toward her throat, she discovered something missing. Her _voice_ was _missing_. “Regina took your voice, didn’t she?” she asked in a growl, sudden rage welling up in her at the thought of Regina taking anything else from anyone.

Her eyes widened marginally at the feel of being prodded by magic. Even magicless as she was, she still could sense clearly when she was being touched by someone else’s magic. _Especially_ one so strong as the Dark One. This time, though… This time the touch was gentle, soft as could be, as if the woman was trying her absolute hardest _not_ to hurt her or her child. It was different, and unbelievably comforting to finally have someone acting gently with her. Ironic that it was the _Dark One_ to do so.

Her eyes widened further as she saw the new _rage_ take over the blonde, and she swallowed thickly, her hands moving to link together and pull at her fingers as she gave a gentle nod. Regina had, and just before threatening to kill her and take her _baby_ , too…

Emma let out a second growl, shaking with rage at the confirmation. ’ _ **Why not go up there and snap her neck? Take her life as repayment for the Queen taking so much from the lesser folk**_ ,’ an eerie, familiar voice intoned from the corner, though she knew it was all in her head. He wasn’t there. No one could see him but her. She knew that by now. He just felt so _real_ … She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and taking in a deep breath to calm down. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if she tried to fix what Regina had broken while she was standing there _seething_ with rage.

Opening her eyes after a moment, she released the breath she’d been holding and moved to raise her hand, flicking her wrist in a swift movement to undo the spell Regina had cast and restore her voice. Regina’s magic was even _weaker_ now compared to her own newly obtained powers, so undoing that spell was like popping a bubble. “Better?”

The redhead’s breath left in her in gasps as she moved her hands to stroke them over her neck, beaming in relief as she reveled in the feeling of being able to _speak_ again. Her blue eyes were bright as they focused again on the blonde, “Much. Ooh, thank you,” she said gleefully, moving to pour herself a cup of tea when she realized the leaves had steeped enough.

Bringing the warm drink to her mouth, she let the steam run over her face for a moment, bathing her pale, freckled skin with new warmth before she took a wary sip, having always _hated_ the feeling of burning her tongue on anything too hot. She let out a sigh as she felt the hot brew travel down her chest to settle nicely within her belly, feeling her shoulders relax a little. “Mm,” she hummed, running her tongue over her lips as she forgot that Emma was even in the room.

Emma felt tingles run up her spine as she heard the other woman speak, and had to swallow thickly at the newly-stoked urge to take the woman to bed. She felt a sense of accomplishment at how happy the other woman now seemed. Good. Anything to help her relax even a little. Anything to help her forget that Regina was still an evil bitch.

The sound of her hum and the sight of the woman’s tongue sent her into a frenzy, and suddenly she was moving, magically placing the teacup onto the counter and crashing her lips to Zelena’s, her hands moving to bury into the beautiful waves of messy, fiery red curls as she kissed her. She tasted like the lavender tea she’d just sipped, and suddenly, Emma found herself liking tea. It was only after her teeth had moved to graze the woman’s lips, causing the other to whine that she realized what she was doing and shot away, her eyes wide as her face quickly became a deep red shade. “I– I’m… I’m so sorry,” she breathed, her breath leaving her in a gasp as she ran her tongue over her lips.

Zelena had never been expecting to be kissed so roughly, and especially not by the Charming’s daughter, the Savior, the new Dark One. Her eyes had widened at the kiss and her hands had stayed to themselves, flexing and fidgeting at her sides, though she felt herself responding eagerly to the rough kiss. Her eyes had slid closed a moment before, and the feeling of her teeth against her swelling lips had her letting out a small whine, and suddenly the pressure was gone and Emma was across the room. Her eyes snapped open in surprise and she frowned, letting out gasps of her own, “No,” she said firmly, “Don’t be sorry. I– I liked that, even if it was rougher than I’ve ever had before,” she admitted, smiling sheepishly as she gasped for air, pulling her lip between her teeth.

That was all Emma needed before she was back over in front of her, pressing her back against the counter as she kissed her again. Her hands moved to slide across the counter for a few moments before they shifted to wrap around her back and bring her close, her fingers curling into the thick fabric of the sky blue wool nightgown she wore.

Her leather-clad knee moved to press up between her legs, bunching up the fabric of her nightgown with it as she began rubbing it against her heat. She grinned against her lips as she felt her moan, sliding her tongue between her lips as she felt her mouth open just slightly. She pressed her lips harder against hers as they kept kissing, only pulling back when the need for air made her lungs scream. “D– Do you want–?” was all she could manage to ask in her need for more air, her eyes locking with hers, pupils blown so wide the normal green of her irises was nearly invisible.

Zelena gasped as her lips were covered again, her eyes sliding closed as she grabbed for the other woman, her hands tightening as she was pulled against the blonde’s leather-clad chest. She moaned loudly as she felt her knee against her center, the friction intensifying the heat that was building, the need within her. She wasn’t surprised when she felt the other woman’s tongue, her own sliding against hers as they kept kissing. Gasping as they pulled apart, she watched her, nodding eagerly at her partial question, “Oh. Oh, _yes_ , please,” she said before another moan escaped her, her head falling forward as she held onto her tighter.

Using her magic to find a spare bedroom with a comfortable, well made bed, she dropped her knee, pressing her close as they were both encased in grey smoke and brought to the bedroom, falling onto the bed rather roughly. Emma grinned, the door closing and locking with her magic as she whisked her own leather attire away with a cloud of grey smoke. She’d have her own fun doing away with Zelena’s nightwear.

’ ** _Yes, go on. Do exactly what we’ve both been wishing for_** ,’ the Dark One’s Entity intoned, an impish giggle leaving it as it was shook away by Emma’s pure _lust_.

The breath was knocked out of her as she hit the bed, feeling the magic dissipate as she was greeted with a very nude Emma Swan above her. “Hey! Why don’t _I_ get to take _your_ clothes off?” she asked with a small huff, frowning at her in irritation. The sight above her was a very lovely one indeed, but wasn’t tearing your partner’s clothing off half the fun?

Emma laughed, leaning down to begin kissing her neck as her hand slid behind her to untie the ribbons holding her nightgown together, feeling the fabric loosen as she slipped it down her shoulders and to pool against their laps, “Would’ve taken us both forever to get all my leather off,” she replied, lifting her hips to shove the soft woolen fabric down her legs. “Never took you for a _blue_ kind of woman,” she commented curiously, looking up to meet her eyes. She then slipped her hand into the woman’s panties, effortlessly sliding one finger in between her wet folds, her thumb making quick work to find her clit and rub it as she started thrusting her finger in and out of her, her thumb brushing her clit with each thrust in. She smirked to feel the bush of hair beneath her hand. She looked to be completely clean shaven otherwise. She didn’t care whether a woman shaved or not, but she found the idea of Zelena having a bush of hair to be cute.

Zelena nodded, pulling a face since she didn’t exactly think she could shrug at the moment. She shuddered as the fabric of her nightgown was slipped down her body and the cold air of the room hit her skin, her nipples becoming swollen and hard within a moment, and she let out a small whine at how much more sensitive they felt now. They were already so sensitive due to her pregnancy, but it seemed that arousal made that increase tenfold. “Sh– Regina won’t let me have anything green. She knows how much I like the color,” she answered absentmindedly, not really focused on what she was saying. She was more focused on her feelings in the moment.

She was only brought out of her focus on that feeling as her panties were moved and she felt a finger enter her, moaning as her legs tensed on instinct before they relaxed, her back arching. Her head hit the pillow behind her as she gasped, her knees bending slightly as she began to try and thrust along with her, trying to meet the rhythm the woman was building.

Feeling the redhead tense, her hand stopped, only continuing as she felt her relax and move her hips to meet her. She moved to press kisses against her chin and jaw as she added another finger, her thumb pressing a little harder against her clit as she quickened her pace. “Oh, no. Well, I can fix that for you,” she answered, feeling a surge of anger within her at the idea of Regina being the one to pick out her wardrobe for her. She was a grown woman, after all, and she deserved to pick out her own clothing, even if she was forced to play the Queen’s handmaiden. She swallowed down that anger, focusing again on pleasuring the other woman beneath her, humming out a much calmer breath a second later, “Mm, good. Good, just– Just relax, let me do this for you,” she breathed, her voice low and slightly rasped. God, seeing her so _vulnerable_ , a side she honestly hadn’t thought Zelena _had_ was so _hot_.

Letting out a series of moans as she felt Emma thrust her fingers in and out of her, her moans turned into small gasped whimpers whenever her clit was brushed. This felt so _good_. She’d never had anyone that was willing to make love to _her_ , and now– Now, here was Emma Swan, the Savior, the Charming’s little princess, the Dark One, doing just that and seemingly enjoying herself just as much.

Groaning as she felt the woman constrict around her fingers, she growled deep within her chest, her hips thrusting up subconsciously as she began thrusting her fingers as deep as she could get. She curled her fingers as she thrust them in as deeply as possible, feeling her own heat building within her as she felt the redhead constrict around her digits again. She moaned, her mouth moving to pay attention to her neck to distract herself, kissing and sucking at the pale skin as her hand moved.

She was so close. _So close_. She let out a whimpering moan as she felt her walls pulse around Emma’s fingers once, twice more, before she felt something snap inside her as her clit was brushed again, her orgasm rushing over her as she let out a string of gasped moans, her body tensing as she felt Emma’s fingers move again to help her ride it out.

Her vision blurred, and she only realized she was crying when she felt tears slide down her skin, falling into her sex-mussed curls as she gasped, beaming brightly as she came down from her rush. She didn’t know that people could _cry_ after sex, or even if that was a normal thing, but right at that moment, she found herself not _caring_. She felt so _good_ , better than she had in _months_ , and all thanks to the blonde on top of her.

Emma moaned as she felt her pulsing around her fingers, gasping and moving to shift her hand as she felt her orgasm coat her fingers, grinning as she helped her ride it out, her eyes snapping up to the witch’s. She frowned as she saw her _crying_. Though, she remembered crying herself, the first time she’d had sex, she still found her stomach twisting with worry as her expression flooded with concern, a frown on her lips. Had she done something _wrong_?

It was only when she saw her _grin_ through her tears that she relaxed, and she moved to pull her hand away, sucking it free of her juices before she moved to gently kiss her face, catching her tears and feeling satisfied with herself. Mentally, anyway, but for now, the physical meaning of that fact didn’t matter very much. “You’re _beautiful_ ,” she whispered, pressing kisses down her cheekbones and down her throat. She continued down her body, deciding to be extra-gentle the second time around as she kissed over each of her breasts. She smiled against her stomach, swirling her tongue against her navel before she continued downward, hooking her fingers against her hips and tugging her panties down her legs. She tossed them aside, moving up a little to press kisses against her hips, smirking as she noticed the patterns of freckles on her pale skin. She chuckled, her eyes moving upward, “You’ve got freckles on your hips, you know. I could play connect the dots,” she commented, her green eyes brightening at the idea of playing such a game sometime. She moved down to continue her kisses, kissing her inner thighs before continuing outward and down giving the same attention to her calves, ending with kisses against the heels of her feet.

Gasping as she was suddenly showered with gentle, loving kisses, Zelena swallowed, feeling tears blur her vision again. This was so _nice_. She wondered idly how long all this love, all this caring, all this kindness could last, before she forced herself to shove that thought away. She wouldn’t let her mind ruin a moment like this.

Letting out a watery laugh as her freckles were mentioned, she smiled, a few tears sliding down the corners of her eyes to land in her hair,  “I doubt you’d be able to make a good picture with them,” she replied, her voice breaking a little with emotion as she shook her head against her pillow.

The blonde shifted up again, moving her hand up to brush her hair away from her sweaty face, catching stray tears and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose, grinning as she covered her lips, “I think I could make a pretty wonderful picture with your freckles. But for now, think you could go again?” she whispered, pulling back to meet her eyes, her fingers gently combing against the bush of soft hair between her legs.

“ _Again_?!” she squeaked, her blue eyes wide, before she admitted to herself that she was still feeling heat within her. She doubted it’d take as long to reach orgasm a _second_ time with how warm and fluid she felt already. She let out a breath, merely smiling at her and moving to kiss her again. It couldn’t _hurt_ …

Emma took that as a yes, moving to slide her hand down a little more, her thumb moving against her clit in gentle circles as she left the work to a single finger. She kept most of the attention on her clit, giving her soft pecks as she heard her gasp and whimper.

Legs shaking with the force of everything she was feeling, Zelena moved her hands to curl them into the blankets, bunching the fabrics up in her palms as she soon felt her insides constrict again. She gasped and arched her back as she felt her walls pulse against her finger again, and again, and again until her second orgasm hit. She let out a line of whines and moans, all covered and silenced by Emma’s swollen lips.

Emma moved to lick her hand clean again, smiling as she saw Zelena _sink_ against the mattress. Good. She moved, waving her hand to cover herself in her leather garb again, deciding that now wasn’t the time to expect Zelena to give her the same treatment. She remembered how _exhausted_ the woman had seemed when she’d first spotted her in the kitchen, and knew that getting her calm enough, relaxed enough, to have a good night’s rest was most important.

She shifted, her palm waving to clean the mattress and blankets before she inched aside, gently helping to edge the now-sleepy redhead under the covers to tuck her in nicely. She conjured a fireball easily after that, throwing it toward the fireplace to make the logs roar to life with burning warmth. Wouldn’t do her any good to have Zelena freeze to death in her sleep, after all. With that in mind, she waved her hand over the woman, clothing her in a clean, light green, woolen nightgown and clean underwear before she relaxed, laying against the pillows on the other side of the bed.

Zelena hummed, opening her eyes only when Emma began to move her, frowning slightly. Wasn’t she supposed to give her attention, too? It was normal for _both_ partners to orgasm, wasn’t it? “But– Shouldn’t I–” she was cut off by a yawn, blinking sleepily as she moved to snuggle more beneath the blankets, even further lulled by the new warmth coming from the fireplace. “Shouldn’t I–?”

Emma shushed her, cutting off anything she was about to say as she slid under the blankets herself, wrapping her arms around the woman and pulling her close, adjusting the blankets to cover her better. After a moment, she snapped her fingers, changing her own clothing to match Zelena’s sleepwear, but colored grey instead of a bright green. “Shh. You don’t need to do anything. I’m fine. Just rest now. That’s all I want from you,” she told her, pressing a kiss to her hair. It wasn’t like she slept anymore, but laying here and holding Zelena while _she_ did sure sounded better than having to get up to carve _dreamcatchers_ again.  


* * *

When she saw the sun peek through the thin curtains, she waved her hand, replacing them with thicker, darker fabric so Zelena wouldn’t be bothered. She needed as much rest as possible.

Expertly sliding from the bed, she waved her hand over herself, changing back into her leather attire before she left the bedroom. She kept the lock in place in case anyone decided to get nosy, feeling comforted that Zelena was safe and sound. She wouldn’t have anyone bothering Zelena and waking her up before she was ready.

Heading down to the kitchens, she put together a tray of different foods for the two of them to eat in bed, making sure to have a pot of ginger tea brewed. With how far along she assumed Zelena was, she’d be edging toward the ends of morning sickness by now, so ginger tea would help with her nausea. She remembered drinking ginger ale like water when she was pregnant with Henry.

Leaving the tray there on the counter, she headed up to the bedroom again, undoing the lock and walking in again. Waving her hand, she summoned the breakfast tray to the end of the bed before moving to sit on the side, leaning over and stroking her fingers through Zelena’s even messier curls, chuckling, “Hey, gingersnap,” she whispered with a smirk, leaning to pepper her face with kisses, “I brought breakfast,” she told her, smiling as she noticed her start to stir.

“Mmh… Gingersnap?” she wondered, peeking one eye open before she remembered the night before and went red, sitting up quickly. The movement made her woozy, and she pressed a hand to her head, swallowing thickly, “Hello, Emma,” she mumbled, peeking her sleepy blue eyes over at her.

Emma chuckled again, moving to bring the tray closer and pour her some tea for her sudden nausea, offering her the mug. “Hey there,” she answered, smiling when she took the mug and moving to spear a sausage with a fork, biting almost half of the link off when she brought it to her lips. “Sleep well?”

Taking small sips of tea, she relaxed, soon discovering that she didn’t have to feel uncomfortable around her. With whatever this was. Her eyes caught on the green fabric of her nightgown and she smiled, feeling a nice, warm and fuzzy feeling bloom in her chest. Emma’d remembered what she’d said last night… She liked this, feeling so cared for, so looked after. That made her eyes well up and she swallowed, pushing her emotions back behind the best face she could muster, despite how much harder managing that had become, “Very well, thank you,” she answered, her nose twitching after a moment as she registered the _food_.

Reaching to set her mug down, she took up the bowl of oatmeal, spooning fruits into the bowl when she noticed the bowls of different berries and sliced bananas, giving it a good mix before she brought a spoonful to her mouth. She chewed happily, letting out a content hum. She liked having choices in what she ate, unlike being forced to have whatever Regina decided she was worthy of having that morning. It never included tea, or anything she was particularly fond of. Most of the time it involved eggs, and Regina _knew_ that eggs made her feel ill now. She just liked seeing her look sick and throw up, she bet.

Smiling, Emma continued eating, crossing her boots at the ankles at the end of the bed as she leaned against the pillows, “Good. I’m glad you’re so willing to eat, too. I used to _hate_ eating when I was morning sick,” she admitted, watching her as she speared a second sausage.

“ _You_ made me hungry,” she admitted, her cheeks reddening as she shoved a spoonful of oatmeal and banana slices into her mouth, chewing quietly as she kept her eyes down on her bowl of food, only occasionally peeking curious blue eyes up to gauge her expression. Feeling so _sated_ in the morning, so _spent_ , had awakened a sort of hungry beast within her, and now she was willing to eat several bowls of oatmeal, among other foods. She bet that having such a good rest had helped awaken that, too. It’d been a long while since she’d felt this hungry, and she’d never felt so starved due to such _wonderful_ reasons, either.

Laughing, she coughed, nearly choking on her bite of food. She chewed, mumbling around her mouthful as she smirked, “Did I _really_?”

Turning her head, blue eyes narrowed at her and Zelena huffed, leaning over slightly to press a peck to her cheek. “ _Yes_ , you _did_ really, now shut up and eat,” she grumbled, even though she was amused too, by the look of her smile.

* * *

When they’d first returned to Storybrooke a day ago, Emma hadn’t been paying much attention as to who had come back and who hadn’t. Now, though, now that she’d gotten used to the feel of the magic in Storybrooke and had acquired the very nice home for herself – she definitely wasn’t going to stay in such a cramped space with all those _traitors_ now that she had the ability to get her own place. She didn’t need money when she was the Dark One – she realized that _something_ , or rather, _someone_ was missing.

Making sure both her dagger, and Excalibur, were hidden and protected, she walked outside, purposefully beginning to make her way through town. Her magic shot out as she stormed down the streets, feeling around each and every one of the buildings for the one very important person she was searching for.

After searching through the majority of the town and finding nothing – though, when she’d passed and magically felt around Regina’s property for the woman she was going through such trouble for, she might’ve set a few of the apples on her tree on fire and _gleefully_ watched the whole thing go up in flame. Served her right for ever being _smug_ about using the dagger on her… – she finally got a very weak, very shielded feel of the power she’d become so very familiar with over the past few weeks. They were keeping Zelena in the _asylum_.

Rage filled her like the fire had engulfed Regina’s apple tree and she stormed for the hospital, her magic blowing the doors open and clear off their hinges as she stormed through the lobby and down hallways. She didn’t care to check whether the doors had hit anyone in the room. Her hands waved this way and that as she passed doctors and nurses, throwing them aside and knocking them unconscious. She didn’t care about any of the workers, or any of the people in this damned building. There was one person she cared for, and she was _locked_ in a _box_.

Storming down the metal staircases, she growled, her heavy steps making loud clangs against the metal and _hopefully_ , scaring the life out of that damned asylum nurse so she wouldn’t have to knock her out, too.

Luck wasn’t on her side, it seemed, so she effortlessly waved a hand to knock the woman unconscious and to the floor behind her desk. Honestly, Regina’s little lackeys deserved to burn like her tree, but she didn’t feel like being responsible for so much murder in such a short time. She also didn’t feel like hearing her mother scold her, trying to _assure_ that she was still a _hero_ and that _heroes_ didn’t _kill_. She stormed her way down the rows of cells, stopping as she came upon the only one with a _shielding spell_ around it.

Setting her jaw, she brought her hands up, focusing her power and shooting blasts at the shield until she saw the shield _shatter_ like a glass window.

Zelena had been jolted awake by all the banging down the nearby stairs, and as a precaution, stood from her little cot to stand in the very far corner of her cell. That area was safest, she thought, if they were coming for _her_ and about to blow her door in, causing her cell to _shake_ with the force of the blasts. Who would come for _her_ , though? Certainly not _Rumple_ , he didn’t even have _magic_ anymore.

She took a deep breath in at feeling the shield spell disappear, finally feeling like she could breathe easier. When the door clanged open, she saw someone she’d never been expecting. “Emma,” she breathed in relief, happiness blooming in her as she dropped her arms from around her middle.

Emma grinned, feeling much more like herself now that she knew Zelena was alright and not in any pain, rushing over and pulling her close, her hand stroking down the familiar wild curls she so loved. She pulled away after a moment, giving her a once – and twice – over before she deemed her truly alright. “Hey there, gingersnap,” she said with a smirk, pressing their lips together for a moment. “You’re not staying here, not now,” she said seriously, moving to wrap an arm around her and lead her through the hospital to the outside. It’d be much easier to use her magic to bring them to her house that way. “I know exactly what it’s like to be locked up and knocked up, and I won’t see another woman in that position. Not here in Storybrooke, and _especially_ not _you_ ,” she told her, just before summoning her magic to her to take the both of them back to her house.

Landing on the ground before Emma’s house, she felt the magic dissipate around her before she finally registered what Emma had said moments before. She laughed, “'Locked up and knocked up’? That’s quite a way to phrase it,” she replied, still chuckling as she followed her up the porch stairs and inside.

She looked around, only snapping out of her curiosity when she felt her magic rush back into her. She gasped, flexing her hand and looking at the other woman in surprise. “You took the cuff off,” she said in disbelief, swallowing thickly.

Emma smirked, sending the cuff away to stay in the room where she kept Excalibur as she moved to embrace her, “Yeah, well, I forgot about the thing in Camelot, and thought you’d like your power back,” she told her, shrugging one shoulder.

Grinning, Zelena leaned to kiss her again, “I _do_ like having my power back, thank you. Felt wrong to be without it, and absolutely _suffocating_ back in that _box_ ,” she admitted, snuggling against her.

“Well, now you don’t have to worry over any of that,” Emma answered, before gesturing, “This entire house is at your disposal, and I’ll be watching out for you to make sure you don’t end up locked up anywhere else,” she promised, kissing her head, “Though, I certainly wouldn’t mind a few grilled cheeses,” she said quietly, smiling.

Zelena couldn’t help but cackle at that, giving the blonde a shove, “Fine, fine, I’ll make you grilled cheeses, but then I’m going to take the absolute _longest_ bubble bath in the _history_ of bubble baths,” she grumbled, turning to walk to the kitchen.

Emma grinned, just about bolting after her as she waved a hand, the door closing after them with a click.


End file.
